The Victorian area of Oxenhope known as 'The Square' is rapidly turning into a slum, claims resident Enid White.

She is writing to Bradford council's Keighley area co-ordinator Patrick Lawton asking if there is any possibility of the council helping improve four unadopted streets there.

Miss White says the unmade streets are in a poor condition, with building materials dumped there and a large pool of water.

She says when the possibility of having the streets made up was explored in 1989 residents could not agree because of the high cost involved. She says: "It looks disgusting. It's becoming an eyesore."

Miss White says new housing is being built and Oxenhope sold as a beautiful village, but that older corners are being forgotten. She says previous attempts by residents of The Square to enlist the help of the parish council and MP Ann Cryer have failed because the streets are not repairable at public expense.

Beechcliffe residents in a similar situation were told at a recent neighbourhood forum meeting that Single Regenera-tion Budget funds were not available to repair footpaths in their area.

But Mr Lawton says help may be available through a new environmental task force being set up under a New Deal strategy. The task force will be able to make up unmade roads and do general clean-ups, though because things are at an early stage he cannot say which areas will be included.

"I would not want to raise hopes," he explains. "There are large numbers of unmade roads and some are concentrated in particular areas in the town centre."

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